Tag: Life

Their loss my gain

MiaLeave a comment

foggy tarmac road

Happy New year but it doesn’t begin like that. As I guessed I didn’t get the job. Typical but it’s their loss. I have a reservation for this kind of things. It’s never nice to be rejected but it’s not up to you if you get the job or not. The final decision is made by the employer. It does make you feel it’s not worth all the efforts. Never forget you’re not alone. A lot of people struggle with the same problems. Even the one who has found success despite being rejected a lot of times. Wham and George Michael come to mind. They sent demos to record companies but no one wanted to sign them. If they had given up, the pop culture would have looked a lot different. If you don’t believe in yourself, who will? I don’t think hard work will pay off completely. You also need some luck. Unfortunately, not everyone has it.

I always felt luck has never been on my side. It feels like I’m cursed. I have no luck in loyal friends nor in a job search. But I won’t let that discourage me. It’s really their loss and my gain. I don’t need to get stuck in one place or have the same people around. I am rather alone and that has worked so far. If no one wants to give me a chance, I can always try something else. I want to be a person who can say, I did it despite rejection and you really must lose sleep knowing you could have given me a chance. People always say it’s not healthy to be alone but I don’t agree. It’s unhealthy to be around people who don’t respect you. I’m old enough and experienced enough to know what kind of people I want to be around. I have met a lot of great people but I haven’t kept in touch. I’m not very good at having contact with anyone. I might have got along with them but still, I wasn’t on the same wavelength as them. I need someone who can keep up with my personality. I haven’t met anyone who could. People give up too easily.

I’ve had so much crap thrown at me over the years, it’s no wonder I don’t open up to people easily. My father often says I’m too sensitive but he doesn’t really understand what I’ve gone through. No one can really know how another person feels or think. You can imagine and support that person but their true thoughts are only known to them. I really love the song ‘Wouldn’t be good‘ by Nik Kershaw.  It describes my feelings perfectly. In some ways it’s a sad song but also have some hope. Things might look awful now but in the end, is the grass really greener on the other side? My things could be worse. No one’s life is perfect. Even the successful ones have problems. I rather be who and where I am right now. Things could always be a lot better but there is a time and a place for everything. Patience and motivation to fight on will save the day. Good things come for those who wait.

Advent calendar Box 21

Mia2 Comments

advent calendar 21

Christmas is a miraculous time. Like the job interview, I got yesterday. I’ve never thought anyone would see my LinkedIn profile. That’s how the person who hinted at the job found me. Things like that always happen to other people. I didn’t think LinkedIn, in general, was very useful in job search. It’s for those who have a wide range of connections and had former jobs. I also don’t want to use the premium version that probably could open better options. I used the trial version but it wasn’t really for me. I don’t know how many Finnish employers actually search for future employees there. There are job offers in Finnish but much more abroad. Either way, it really is miraculous that I got a job interview in the first place. That doesn’t happen every day. I didn’t even believe it before I actually read the confirmation email that it wasn’t a dream.

If I get the job, it really will be miraculous. It’s not that I don’t think well enough of my abilities but I still doubt. When you go through life that hasn’t had much luck, you think you’ll never get anything good. As you get older, you realise things could be worse. You don’t need to live like anyone else. Have the courage to stay true to yourself. If you don’t believe in yourself, no one will. I wouldn’t want to go back to the past. There are things that I could tell my younger self. But then I probably wouldn’t know what I know now. You live and learn. Learning from your mistakes is the best education you can get. I wish I would have done things earlier but it’s still not too late.

My goals have changed many times.  As a teenager, I had a feeling I needed to rush things. I wanted to do so many things before 25 and when I did turn that age, that so-called life crisis kicked in. I was so disappointed I hadn’t accomplished a thing. I didn’t even know what I wanted to do. Others had a job and a family to support. I spent all my time thinking about career choices. You hear about 30’s crisis and 40’s crisis but I didn’t have any of those. Maybe I feel attracted to younger men but they just happen to be younger. Nothing to do with age crisis. When the time has passed, I don’t really want what others have. I’m totally fine to be free. I can do what I want and I don’t want to lose that. Maybe it’s selfish but so is having something just because the society expects it. I didn’t rebel when I was a teen like most do. In a way, I do it now. I like being different. People can live their life the way they want. I’ve made a choice how to live mine.

Advent calendar Box 15

MiaLeave a comment

advent calendar 15

Today it’s been 4 years since my mother passed away. Grieving is a personal thing. You can imagine how someone feels when a loved one has lost their lives but you can’t know exactly how that person feels. What you do have in common is the sadness you feel. Being sad isn’t fun. It feels like it will never go away. Like everything else, nothing lasts forever. It might feel impossible at first but then it gets better as time passes.

The worst thing about it all is when the person that is very important to you gets diagnosed with a disease that can’t be cured. Or that person gets into an accident and doesn’t make it. Is the people who used to be in your life, suddenly stops keeping in touch. I’ve heard a lot of stories about that and I’ve been there myself. Maybe some people don’t want to bother you or maybe they’re afraid they say something wrong. It’s also because they don’t know how to handle if their friend gets ill or their friends family members.
All you really need to do is to be there. For the sick friend and the family. Someone who is sick or lost their loved ones need someone who cares. Real friends don’t leave when things are tough. The same goes for relatives.

When my sister died in 1983, most relatives stopped having any contact with us. The only one that did was my grandmothers. Even my sister’s friends didn’t keep in touch. I doubt they even remembered her after her death. But those are things that just happen. I don’t think I would have any contact with them today anyway. People have their own lives. It’s different for a person who’s gone through a sickness or death. They have lived in that world and only they know how it really is.

I remember the day when my mother told me her cancer couldn’t be cured. After all the treatments and some hope for the better, nothing could be done. I’m not very religious but I did pray when she got sick and hoped she would win the fight. When nothing of that helps, you begin to think there is no point in praying. But it does make you feel better. I guess that’s the point.
You never think your parents get sick and when they do, part of you dies. It’s usually someone else’s parents and not your own. I was devasted when she told me she would die. Seeing her fade away slowly broke my heart. This strong person who was always there for you was now getting weaker. In a way, she was lucky she didn’t have to suffer for long. It was only about a week when she was gone. It was so close to Christmas and believe me that Christmas was the worse ever. I still feel sad when I think about it.

Cancer is a disease that anyone can get. It doesn’t matter if that person is good or bad. Some cancers can be prevented. Like lung cancer. I can’t understand how some people want cancer voluntarily by smoking. Passive smoking is even worse. It’s not a fun disease. It’s painful and uncomfortable. Some people think they won’t get it but nothing is certain. If cancer doesn’t kill smokers, some other disease will. I rather live a healthy life. These smokers are everywhere spreading cancer to innocent people. I feel sorry for the kids who parents smoke in front of them. I’ve seen those and it’s disgusting. It’s telling them they rather get or give cancer than stop the habit. Cancer of any kind is something I wouldn’t want anyone to have. It’s hard to the person and it’s hard for family members.

So now when 4 years have passed since my mother left this earth, things have been better. I still miss the conversations we had in Swedish and the advice she gave me. I don’t have anyone to do that with anymore. No long walks or bike trips. There will never be anyone like her and no one can replace her. People might come and go but it will never have the same comfortable surroundings. It’s strange that things only come to mind when a person is gone. You start to appreciate things you used to have. They felt like nagging and pampering at the time but in the end, it was only a worry that a parent usually has. My mother still worried about my future when she was sick. She was worried how I will get by. So far I’ve managed. I haven’t fallen apart yet and I don’t think I will. Her death made me a stronger and confident in myself. I’ve had the courage to move on and try new things. I’m still uncertain about some things but I’m not that scared little girl who still needed her mother. It took some time and maybe it wouldn’t have happened if she was still around. I still miss her though and wish she was here when I feel down. I look at photos where she appears and I smile. I’m glad she was my mother and I wouldn’t change a thing.